Hidden in the Shadows
by orangekangaroo
Summary: The team faces a new foe, one that until now was believed to be a myth. Vampires have come back into the light, good and evil. This story will go to some very dark places. Violence, implied rape. Some Spitfire, Supermartian, Kaldur/OC. Can YJ survive?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story that I randomly came up with daydreaming during class. Don't judge me, we all do it. So...yeah. Here we go.**

Robin sat with Batman in the batcave, helping him go over some files of known criminals. A grisly string of murders had Gotham, and any other city within a 100 mile radius, in a panic.

"These victims have no connections, no set profile, nothing in common." Robin threw up his hands in frustration. "How is he choosing his victims?"

"A better question is: Why does he kill the way he kills?" Batman said thoughtfully. He pushed the autopsy report of the latest victim, a woman, to Robin. "It says they died of exsanguination, but there is no blood at any of the crime scenes, and no indication of a body dump."

"They could have bled out through the punctures in their jugulars." Robin pulled out a photo of the woman's neck. Two small, ragged holes were visible the went deep into the jugular. DNA had been found around and in them, but it was degraded.

"There would have blood everywhere, unless he took it with him." Batman said.

"So...we're looking for a vampire?" Robin laughed at his own joke.

"Vampires aren't real." Batman said.

"Oh, come on. You're friends with aliens, a man made of pure energy, and a woman from an immortal race of demigods."

"Wonder Woman is not immortal or a demi-It doesn't matter. But vampires don't exist." Batman removed his cowl. Kids today read too much Moonlight or Sunlight or whatever.

'Well, someone sure wants people to think they do then."

"I need to brief the League. You talk to the team." Batman stood. "Regardless of the reason, this murderer is a serious concern."

"Yeah, cause they'll all be so excited to get a call this late at night."

* * *

She was standing on top of a building, concealed in shadows that seemed to wrap around her. She watched the night time traffic passing below her. Waiting. Waiting for the right person to come along.

She had to find him.

**Please don't be mean, but do review me. I am going on this OC adventure for fun, but I hope you also have fun. Should I continue?  
**


	2. Chapter 2

The woman was trapped. Trapped in the alley that she had been chased into.

"What do you want?" She cried. "I'll give you anything, just let me go!" Something in the shadows shifted, and two red eyes glinted.

"What I want from you is something that you will not walk away from." A voice hissed.

"Are you...Are you going to kill me?" Silence. "I don't want to die! Please!" The woman was hysterical.

"Yes."

A scream rang out.

* * *

"What is so important that it could not wait for the morning?" Kaldur asked. His eyes where tired, but not irritated.

"This was Batman's idea, not mine. Here's a copy of the file for each of you." Robin passed out manilla folders with the case details inside. They began flipping through them, and M'gann was the first to speak up.

"These are awful! Who could do such a thing?"

"Or what. It looks like we have a vampire loose." Wally said.

"Right. Vampires. The walking dead are committing murders. I don't think so." Artemis said. "But it is a good way to spread fear."

Just then, Batman came in on the large screen in the main room.

"Team, someone called the police about a scream. It is within the radius of the last victims. Go there and determine if it is the same person, and if you find anything contact the League." He gave them the address and the screen went black.

"To the dark alleys of Gotham we go." Wally said.

* * *

When Aqualad and the rest of the team arrived at the crime scene, police and C.S.I.s were everywhere. The team stayed at a distance, observing.

_"What a mess."_ Artemis said.

"_Whoever is doing this really knows how to make an entrance." _Robin answered. They were speaking through Miss Martian's telepathic link.

"_We should go in for a closer look_." Aqualad said. "_Batman wants a report." _He led the way to the officer in charge. It happened to be Commisioner Gordan.

"Robin. What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help solve the murders." Robin answered.

"We need all the help we can get, but I was hoping Batman would be here." Gordan rubbed the back of his neck. "This city is going crazy."

"In your opinion, do you believe this victim is connected to the others?" Aqualad asked.

"Yes. The punctures, the lack of blood at the scene. But this body is still warm. We just missed whoever killed her."

"Mind if we take a look around?" Robin asked. But he was already sure Gordan would say yes.

"If you think it would help, go ahead. But be careful."

* * *

She answered her phone.

"Did you find my leftovers?" The voice on the other end laughed.

"You need to stop this."

"Or what? You will? The Justice League will?" The voice laughed. "No one can stop me."

"I can."

"But you won't. You can't even catch me." The voice paused. "You know, some interesting teenagers seem to be looking for me. I wonder what they taste like."

"You're sick."

"You're weak. I think I may have found a new prospect." She froze. "Hello? Are you there?"

"Leave her alone. She doesn't belong to you."

"She soon will, though." *click*

This was a dangerous game of cat and mouse she was playing. But with each victim, she got closer. Closer to finding the killer that had haunted her for years. She observed the group of teenagers speaking to Gordan from her place on the building above them. They certainly were different.

* * *

"Guys, this might be nothing...But I'm sensing some kind of sorcery." Zatanna said. "It's faint, and really strange, but it's there."

"So whomever committed this crime uses magic?" Aqualad asked.

"Maybe...maybe not. The traces are so small...I don't know. But this is no ordinary psycho." Zatanna dropped her hands from her temples. "Something supernatural is going on here."

"Whatever, or whomever it is, has a scientific explanation behind it. There has to be." Kid Flash said.

"It does not matter. We must report back to Batman." Aqualad said. The team left, unaware that they were being followed.

* * *

She watched them enter the mountain. It was good hiding place, one that was for the most part impenetrable. But she knew that no one in there was safe from him. Especially the unlucky girl he had chosen to pursue.

**Please leave a review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**To those of you who are reading...cool. **

"Young justice, wake up and report to the main room in twenty minutes." Black Canary's voice rang through the hallways of Mt. Justice.

Fifteen minutes later, Black Canary was greeted by the first of the team to arrive, Kaldur.

"Why have we been summoned?"

"Batman wants to talk about what he's come up with regarding the most recent murder." Black Canary checked the time. "They batter get in here before-"

"Before Batman gets here." Robin said as he walked in with Zatanna. Wally, Artemis, Connor, M'gann, and Wolf were behind them. "We know."

Recognized: Batman 02

"Is everyone here?" Batman's voice was characteristically emotionless.

"Everyone but Roy." Robin answered.

"He is not part of the team." Batman said. Red Arrow would be informed later, if it was determined they needed his help.

"Then yes. Everyone is here."

"As you all know, there was another murder last night. However, I believe that I may have found a connection. Each victim, male and female, each went to the same restaurant within two days of being murdered." Batman pulled up an image of a small cafe. "This place is simply called Cafe."

"Hey, I know that place. The waiters and waitresses sing." Wally said.

"Have you been there?"

"No, but I read an article about it a few weeks ago."

"This is the only connection I have been able to make between the victims. I want you to go undercover there and see if anyone is suspicious, or if any of the patrons are followed."

* * *

"This place is cool." Robin said.

"Yeah, but I feel like this is where you go if American Idol doesn't work out for you." Artemis said.

"Maybe. But you never know, these waiters might be really good." M'gann added.

"Do you sense any of that sorcery, Zatanna?" Kaldur asked. The girl put a hand casually to her temple and concentrated.

"No. But there are a lot of people here."

"Ladies and gentlemen, our first singer of the night is Anna. Please welcome her to the stage." A man said into the mike. The lights on the small stage dimmed and a spotlight fell on the piano, where Anna was sitting. She was wearing a little black dress that hugged her obvious curves without being too short. Her bright red shoes matched her red lipstick, and her heavy eye makeup helped the fact that she couldn't be more than eighteen. She winked at the piano player, and he started plunking out a tune. Anna lifted a microphone to her mouth.

_What good is sitting alone in your room?_  
_ Come hear the music play._  
_ Life is a Cabaret, old chum,_  
_ Come to the Cabaret._

She got down from the piano gracefully, and strode towards the front on the stage, singing expertly into the mike and swaying to the music.

_ Put down the knitting,_  
_ The book and the broom._  
_ Time for a holiday._  
_ Life is Cabaret, old chum,_  
_ Come to the Cabaret._

_ Come taste the wine,_  
_ Come hear the band._  
_ Come blow your horn,_  
_ Start celebrating;_  
_ Right this way,_  
_ Your table's waiting_

Kaldur was enchanted by her strong voice, and the way she moved.

_ No use permitting_  
_ some prophet of doom_  
_ To wipe every smile away._  
_ Come hear the music play._  
_ Life is a Cabaret, old chum,_  
_ Come to the Cabaret!_

_ Start by admitting_  
_ From cradle to tomb_  
_ Isn't that long a stay._  
_ Life is a Cabaret, old chum,_  
_ Only a Cabaret, old chum,_  
_ And I love a Cabaret!_

As Anna bowed and left the stage, everyone clapped.

"_Guys, I sensed that same sorcery coming off her."_ Zatanna said. "_Maybe she's a sorceress."_

_"Or the killer." _Robin said.

_"We need to follow her_." Kaldur said.

* * *

After the restaurant closed the team was waiting outside in costume, hidden.

"_She must be coming soon. It's almost eleven_." Artemis said. They had been waiting for hours, but Anna seemed to have the longest shift that the restaurant offered.

"_This is ridiculous. The restaurant is closing, the owner is leaving, and she hasn't come out the back, right?_" Wally asked.

"_Nope, she hasn't. Me and M'gann have the exit covered_." Connor said.

"_There is no way she could have left without us seeing her." Kaldur said thoughtfully. "Is it possible that she is still_-" His telepathic comment was cut off by Superboy.

"_Guys! I just heard a scream_!"

"_Super-hearing must be awesome._" Wally commented.

"In what direction?" Kaldur said.

"West! Follow me!" Superboy broke cover and started running.

_"M'gann and Wally, you come with us. Artemis and Robin, stay here in case she comes out._" Kaldur ordered as he took off with his teammates. Artemis made her way to the back part of the building.

"_Fun. We're still on stakeout duty_."

* * *

Superboy led the way to the general vicinity of the scream.

"Split up, team." Kaldur said.

Kaldur walked stealthily towards a an alley. Ten minutes later, he and the team were about ready to give up.

"_I do not know if this was-" _Kaldur stopped when he realized that M'gann had let the mental up-link die. Then he heard a groan. He ran towards the sound, and stopped outside a small apartment building. He saw a sight that chilled him to the bone.

A young woman was lying in the grass, with a taller teenage boy leaning over her. At first, it would seem he was giving her mouth to mouth or making out in the grass. But the sucking sounds coming from them betrayed what was really happening.

"Get off of her." Kaldur said. A rasping sound escaped the boy's mouth as he released the woman's neck.

"This does not concern you."

"Maybe not, but it is my responsibility to stop and arrest you." Kaldur pulled out his water-bearers and some water from his water-pack on his back. The water took the form of swords.

"Ooh, you must be from Atlantis." The boy said.

"What? How do you-" Kaldur found himself on his back, gasping for air from the blow he had received.

"You are out your league." Suddenly, the boy was pinning Kaldur to the ground. "You see, I am faster, stronger, and willing to kill." The boy released one of Kaldur's wrists and used the free hand to slash his nails down Kaldur's chest, opening fie fresh cuts. Kaldur tried to move his arm to manipulate some water, but the boy's grip was like iron before he could even blink. Kaldur felt like he was fighting an evil version of Connor. He couldn't have been more than twenty.

"I have a team coming to help me." Kaldur gasped through the pain.

"Oh, your little alien friends? Boy Wonder? Artemis? Kid Flash? Some team." He leaned down and smelled Kaldur's neck, sending shivers down Kaldur's spine. "I've never tasted Atlantean before."

"What?" Kaldur asked. The boy laughed and tilted his head back. When he looked back down, his eyes were red.

"This is going to hurt." Kaldur closed his eyes. But nothing happened. He was gone.

"Are you alright?" Anna stood over him. He blacked out. "Shit."

"Get away from him!" Superboy and M'gann ran up to them.

"Oh, relax. It wasn't me."

"Like we'd believe you! You're coming with us!"

"Fine. Whatever. You got me." Anna put up her hands as she rolled her eyes.

**And that's where this chapter ends. Should i continue?**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is going to be a little...silly. Just be warned.**

"So...is there any chance of me talking to someone else?" Anna asked. A very annoyed Superman sat across from her in the interrogation room at Gotham police station.

"Why?"

"Because I have nothing to say to you." She drummed her fingers on the table.

"And why is that?" Superman was starting to get angry.

"I don't like you."

"Well, you're not going anywhere until you answer a few questions."

"Then I hope you brought a Sudoku or something, because I'm not going to talk to you."

"Then who do you want to talk to?" Superman managed to keep his temper in check.

"Not you." Anna shrugged and shifted her arms, though she was wearing handcuffs.

"You have an attitude problem."

"Damn right I do. Go away."

Superman got up and left the room. As he walked out, he passed Batman on his way into the room. To anyone else, the extreme amusement on Batman's face would have been imperceptible.

"Hello, Batman. Now you, I'll talk to."

"Why me?"

"I respect you. Unlike red-white-and-blue behind the glass, you know the value of subtly." Outside the glass, Superman rolled his eyes. "What would you like to know?"

"Did you kill those people?"

"Nope."

"Why did you attack Aqualad?" Batman sat down in the chair Superman had vacated.

"I didn't. I saved his life." Anna inspected her fingernails. "How's he doing, anyways? I assume Aqualad is the Atlantean I saved."

"Why were you there in the first place?"

_"They_ followed _me_ first. I'm not an idiot." Anna said.

"Then what are you?" Batman sensed an interesting answer.

"Do you really want to know?" Batman gave her the 'Bat-stare'. "Fine. I've been known as many things over the years. Witch, demon, goddess. That was a fun time. But right now, I believe the term _vampire_ is correct."

"A vampire." Batman said skeptically.

"Yeah. I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I know. But it's true." Anna fiddled with her cuffs.

"Vampires aren't real."

"Ha! Trust me, they are." Anna suddenly jerked her wrists apart and the cuffs snapped. "Oh, relax. I'm not going to try to escape. I could have done that anytime."

"That only proves you have incredible strength. Though you failed to use it when you were arrested."

"True...And I doubt you'd believe my stories about the past. However, there was a young girl in the group you sent to follow me. She can sense something odd about me, can't she? Something that she sensed at an earlier crime scene."

"It is true, that she senses sorcery in you." Batman replied.

"Well, that is just all part of the puzzle then, isn't it?" Anna crossed her arms. "I know you don't believe me. That's why I don't usually tell people."

"Then why would you tell _me_ that you're a vampire?"

"Because you don't believe me." Anna shrugged. "So it doesn't matter. You just saw me snap a pair of handcuffs in half like they were made of paper, and I still feel the skepticism rolling off you in waves."

"Why should I believe that you didn't kill those people? You work at the restaurant that connects them all." Batman's face behind the cowl still held no expression.

"Oh please. I know you already checked my employment records. I've only worked there for a week."

"If it wasn't you, who was it?"

"The man you're looking for is the one who turned me." Anna said calmly. "I believe that his name right now is Sam."

"And is he a vampire too?" Batman asked skeptically. Anna gave him a look.

"If he turned me, then he must be a vampire."

"Enough with the vampires. Who are you really?" Batman asked.

"I have a severe mental disorder that cause me to think that I am a vampire because I was abused as a child." Anna laughed. "Is that what you want to hear?"

"Not if it's a lie." Batman would have said something else but Anna cut him off.

"You have a very strong connection to your sidekick. I can feel it from here." Anna played with her fingernails. "You'd do anything for him, right?"

"He's not part of this." Batman said.

"If he care for the magician girl the way I sense he does, he soon will be."

**Leave a review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Kaldur woke with a start in the medical wing at Mt. Justice. Instantly, he was surrounded by the voices of his teammates.

"Kaldur! How do you feel?"

"Hey! He's awake!"

"We thought you were dead!"

Then, Batman's voice.

"Who did this to you?" Right to the point, as usual. Kaldur collected his thoughts before speaking.

"I did not recognize him, but he-"

"He? It was a guy?" Robin interjected. "Sorry." He mumbled under his mentor's gaze.

"Yes, it was a male who attacked me. But he was not human. At least, not fully." Kaldur thought back to the incident. 'He was incredibly strong. Possibly close to or even with Superboy. And he...He said something along the lines of 'never tasting an Atlantean'. It seemed he was referring to a vampiric sucking of blood." Kaldur shuddered and sat up. His bare torso was covered in bandages. "Where's Anna?"

"Anna?" Batman raised an eyebrow. "Gotham police department. She was standing over you when the team arrived."

"She saved me." Kaldur said shortly. "I wish to speak with her."

"Is that really a good idea?" Robin asked.

"You were pretty beat up when they brought you in here." Superboy's blue eyes were unusually expressive. "You should rest."

"No, she knows who the murderer is. I wish to see her." Kaldur said somewhat stubbornly.

"I have tried speaking with her, and if you wish to do the same you need to know something." Batman figured that maybe Anna would speak to Kaldur since she had bothered to save him.

"What?"

"She thinks she's a vampire."

**Read and review. Please! Sorry for the shortness, but I don't even know that anyone is reading.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, due to the request of some lone reviewers, I am continuing this story. I really hoped people would like this story. So here we go.**

****Superman closed his eyes and sighed through his gritted teeth. Anna noticed and grinned as she kept humming a tune he didn't recognize.

"Do you have to do that?" Superman groaned.

"Do I have to stay here?" Anna asked innocently.

"Yes."

"Then yes, I do. I'm supposed to perform this song tomorrow night at my second job. My second _night_ job. So I have to rehearse it." Anna continued her humming. Superman rolled his eyes. "I could sing it out loud, if you prefer." She said teasingly. Suddenly the door opened and Kaldur walked in.

"What are you doing here?" The man of steel stood. Kaldur nodded politely at him.

"I have come to speak with her. Privately."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. She's delusional." Superman cast a glance at the blond sitting at the table. "And strong."

"She did not harm me before, and I do not believe she will now." Kaldur said slightly annoyed. Superman opened mouth to say something, closed it, and walked out.

"Bye!" Anna called. Superman slammed the door. Kaldur faced Anna warily as he sat down with a grimace. Anna watched him with interest. They stared wordlessly at each other for a moment.

"You seem to have distressed Superman." Kaldur said slowly. Anna dismissed this with a gesture.

"He thinks I'm disrespectful. To be fair, I respect people. Just not him." Anna leaned forward and placed her hands on the table. Kaldur noticed her hands weren't cuffed. "I broke them." Anna answered his unasked question.

"That takes a fair amount of strength. I believe you have an unusual answer for that." Kaldur probed. Anna raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair. "I studied magic in a university under the sea in a city that until recently was believed to be fictional. I am the most likely person here to believe you."

"Ok, let's test that theory." Anna leaned her face on her hand on the table. "Three hundred years ago, I was inducted into my own personal hell. I do not age, I heal from almost any wound instantly, and I can use a magic that is older and more dangerous than that of Dr. Fate." Kaldur's face remained impassive though his eyes widened. "In short, I am what is now known as a vampire."

Kaldur was silent for a long time. "Assuming I believe you, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know. The nightlife here is awesome." Anna said sarcastically and Kaldur looked impassively at her. She turned serious. "No, I'm here because the man I've been tracking for years is here. He's a serial murderer, and worse. What he did to you is nothing compared to what I've seen him do to his _real_ victims."

"I do not know yet if I believe you. But I do believe that you are not a threat to society." Kaldur turned as Batman entered the room. "What is it?" Batman ignored Kaldur for the moment and looked at Anna.

"You are free to go, for now. Don't wander too far away, I'll be keeping an eye on you." Batman stared at her through the cowl, and Anna figured he was telling the truth. Kaldur stood painfully.

"I assume you know how to contact us if you need any help."

"Aw, that's sweet. Now if you'll excuse me, I've been awake far too long and I have a night shift tomorrow." Anna breezed out. Kaldur watched her go, then turned to Batman.

"I believe her."

* * *

"You know, generally vampires avoid telling people about our condition." The voice on the phone was almost poisonous to Anna's ears.

"Stop calling me." Anna answered with equal venom. "If you won't tell me where you are so we can finish this, don't call me at all."

"See you at the show tomorrow." *click*

"Shit." Anna stared at the phone in her hand. Then she ducked into the alley closest to her, melting into the shadows. She made sure no one was around, and muttered a few words as she pricked her finger to draw a symbol with the blood. The wind rushed past her and then she was there. She waited until the right moment, then popped up behind the Atlantean where he was perched on the roof of a building.

"It is a little early to start stalking me, you know." Anna sat down next to Kaldur as the Atlantean spoke."What do you need?"

"He's going to be here at this address tomorrow night." Anna handed him a card. Kaldur's eyes widened at the name on the business card. "If you want to help, be there for the show."

"How did you get here?" Kaldur asked.

"I'm not here. It's a projection of myself. Someday I'll explain. Maybe." Anna winked and disappeared. Back in the alley, Anna staggered against the wall as she recovered from the magic. "Ok, bedtime." She walked off the her apartment.

**So...review me. And stay tuned for Twilight jokes/slams in later chapters.**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I got one review. So I will use that as an excuse to continue this story. Honestly, I would continue anyways because this story is fun to write. So enjoy!**

"I don't understand why I can't go in there with you guys!" Robin complained.

"We need you on perimeter to keep an eye out for the target. You will be our first warning." Kaldur answered quickly. That was true, but not the only reason.

"Hey, I'm out here with you. Kaldur and Roy are the only ones going in." Wally said, somewhat jealously. The only reason those two were going in was because they were the only ones who were old enough to go in. Roy was twenty and Kaldur was eighteen. Everyone else was underage, much to their annoyance.

"Besides, we're here to work." Artemis elbowed Wally. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Work." Roy adjusted the small crossbow he had concealed. "Let's go. The show starts soon."

* * *

"Dude, relax." Roy sipped his soda and observed the rest of the audience. They were all seated around small tables, two to four people each. Some had beers or wine if they were 21 or older, the rest had sodas and water. Patrons had to be eighteen or older for this particular night theater.

"I feel slightly uncomfortable here. I have never been to a show like this." Kaldur's face flushed slightly. They were at Circus Burlesque.

"Shocking." Roy mumbled into his drink. He wished Green Arrow hadn't taken his fake ID. It would be much nicer to have a _real_ drink. Suddenly, the lights went down and the fake velvet curtain rose on the stage. Roy's eyes bugged out of his face, as did Kaldur's.

Anna stood in the center, wearing a circus master costume consisting of a tight, lacy black leotard-corset with black sequins. Over it she wore a ringmaster's coat with long coattails, and a false sequined eye-patch over her left eye. On her feet were sturdy but high black boots.

"Welcome, everyone. Boys and maybe some girls, old and hopefully not too young. Welcome to the circus." Her voice boomed over the audience, instantly quieting them. "This is not a strip club, a gentleman's club, or a brothel. If you wanted that, go somewhere else. _This_ is a burlesque lounge, and as such there is a rule here. You can look. Look all you want. But...you can not touch. Not unless we touch you first." She smiled as a few men laughed. "You seem like a nice bunch. I'll let you in on a little secret, a little...advise." The band started as Anna sang perfectly and stood motionless.

_Give 'em the old razzle dazzle_  
_Razzle Dazzle 'em _  
_Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it _  
_And the reaction will be passionate _  
_Give 'em the old hocus pocus _  
_Bead and feather 'em _  
_How can they see with sequins in their eyes? _  
_What if your hinges all are rusting?  
What if, in fact, you're just disgusting? _  
_Razzle dazzle 'em _  
_And they'll never catch wise! _  
_Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle_

She was joined by other dancers in various burlesque interpretations of circus performer costumes. They began a slow, seductive dance on the stage. Anna walked off stage with a few others and walked slowly between the tables.

_Give 'em the old three ring circus  
Stun and stagger 'em  
When you're in trouble, go into your dance  
Though you are stiffer than a girder  
They'll let you get away with murder  
Razzle dazzle 'em_

She stopped at Kaldur's table and sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kept singing.

_And you've got a romance  
Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle  
Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle  
Razzle dazzle 'em  
Show 'em the first rate sorcerer you are  
Long as you keep 'em way off balance  
How can they spot you've got no talents?  
Razzle Dazzle 'em  
Razzle Dazzle 'em  
Razzle Dazzle 'em  
And they'll make you a star!_

"Enjoy the show." Anna stood and bowed low, making eye contact with Kaldur and Roy. The unspoken message was clear. _Keep your eyes open._

__**Review me!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for the kind words, my few reviewers. They are appreciated.**

Roy leaned over to his companion. "So, that's the girl that saved your life?" Kaldur nodded. "She's pretty."

"She's part of the mission." Kaldur said matter-of-factly.

"Right." Roy rolled his eyes. Kaldur was cut off from saying anything as the show continued.

* * *

Zatanna was sitting in her room at Mt. Justice, going over some spells. She had been excused from tonight's mission based on Anna's warning, though she didn't know that. She just assumed that Batman didn't want her there.

"Wohs em Nibor." She said. An image of Robin in his stakeout position appeared for a moment and then faded. Zatanna smiled. That one last much longer than before. Zatanna felt the familiar drain as her magic took its toll. It was always worse with newer spells.

* * *

Anna was backstage changing her costume when she heard her phone ringing.

"Hello?" She knew who it was as soon as she answered.

"Sorry to duck out early, your first number was great. But I'm afraid I have a date." The voice on the other line was slick as oil and yet coarse with evil, as usual.

"What do you mean?" Anna tensed.

"Since the rest of the sidekick team is outside the lounge or inside, she's all alone."

"No, she's not. There are still others there." Anna said sharply.

"Oh, nothing I can't handle. Just the missile-girl and the super boy. They won't be much trouble." He sneered.

"Don't touch her. I'll kill you myself." Anna warned.

"Can you really get here in time? She looks so alone in her room, practicing those spells all by her lonesome." The line went dead. Anna threw her phone in her purse and threw a coat over her biker-chick costume of long leather pants and another tight red and black corset. She entered the seating area and went straight to Kaldur and Roy's table.

* * *

Connor tried to push back against the terrible strength of the guy that had already knocked out Rocket. He had come running when he heard Zatanna screaming for help before being silenced and got there just in time to see him hit Rocket so hard she fell into the wall. Now he was locked in a wrestling match with the intruder that he couldn't seem to win.

"You're strong, Kryptonian. Not strong enough, but still mildly impressive." He taunted the clone.

"Leave her alone." He said through gritted teeth. The intruder hit Connor, and a rare thing happened. Connor was knocked out. The intruder, Sam, as he was known now, stood and straightened his shirt. He knew he didn't have much time, so he turned to the young girl he had tied to the bed and gagged.

"Sorry about that, darling." Zatanna struggled, but she couldn't escape without her voice. "I don't have much time so I'll just get right to it." He knelt on the bed next to her and ripped off her shirt. "This is a bit of a process, and usually I have a little more time to do it."

He moved on to her jeans, unbuttoning and beginning to remove them. Zatanna's eyes widened and she struggled harder. Sam noticed and grabbed her by the throat. "Settle down and be a good girl before I'm forced to hurt you." He released her and then moved his hands back to the hem of her panties. "I know I seem like a monster to you, but believe me when I say that this will be the most pleasurable part of your night."

"Remove your hands from the young lady." A mechanical voice sounded from the door where Red Tornado stood.

"Hold on, my pet. I'll be right back." Sam stroked her face once. "I know you are only trying to stall me, my robotic friend."

"I am not your friend and you are not welcome here." Red Tornado dodged Sam's initial charge. "I have faster reflexes than a human." He landed a blow, but Sam barely seemed to feel it. Then he landed a hit on the android, punching right through to the back.

"It was a noble try, but futile." Sam said.

"Not the way I see it." Red Tornado said from the ground.

"And why is that?"

"Because he gave us time to get here." Robin stood with his team behind him. Sam scoffed.

"I already defeated the Kryptonian. What makes you think any of you can take me?"

"They don't have to." Anna stepped forward. "Good to see you, Sam, is it?" She rushed him. The team watched in awe as the two flashed around the room, fighting and throwing each other against walls, leaving dents. Then he was gone, with his last words ringing behind him.

"See you later, baby."

Zatanna sat quietly at the table with the rest of her team, and Anna. M'gann was holding an ice pack to Connor's head as he wrapped his sprained wrist. Rocket was in the infirmary with a concussion, and Robin was sitting awkwardly next to Zatanna. She was openly staring at the blonde girl in the revealing clothes. Finally Anna snapped, "What?"

Zatanna looked away and Robin wrapped a protective arm around her. "Sorry." She whispered.

"No, it's alright. I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Anna sighed and cracked her neck. "He really threw me hard that last time. Bastard."

"Why was he attacking Zatanna?" Batman asked as he joined them.

"Always direct, I like that." Anna folded her hands on the table and pointed to a small tattoo on her right hand near her thumb. It was a pattern of whorls and dots and lines all connected into a kind of labyrinth. "This is what he's after."

"Your tattoo?" Kaldur asked.

"No. What it stands for. This stands for an ancient magic known as blood magic. It's real name is lost, Sanskrit has been dead for too long. No one knows where is originated or who created it, but it has been traced all the way back to the Aztecs."

"By whom?" Wally, ever skeptic, asked.

"By me. You live for three hundred years, you need a hobby every couple of years. Why do you think the did so many human sacrifices? Anyways, this is ancient, ancient magic that is only around in a diluted form now. Sam is gifted with it, and his "condition" accentuates it. Same with me."

"What does this have to do with Zatanna?" Batman asked.

"She has the potential to wield this magic. But as a regular human, it could kill her. Blood magic is much more draining than the magic she practices now, and she is a very distant descendent. Sam has decided in the last hundred years that it is his duty to seek out others like him and turn them so that they too can experience this _miracle_." She spat the word out.

"So he wants to change me? What does that...What does that even mean?" Zatanna pipped up suddenly.

"It means he wants to make you like me. A vampire." Anna said.

"A vampire? You're kidding." Wally scoffed. "You've got to be joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking? When I say vampire, I don't mean a Hollywood vampire that burns in the sun and is allergic to garlic and crosses. I mean an immortal being that is turned through an ancient, cruel ritual, the original act of blood magic. It turns you into someone that cannot die, heals instantly, and needs the blood of others to fuel their body. I need it to fuel my magic." Anna felt herself flush. Wally stood up.

"So you actually drink blood? How do we know we can trust you? That you aren't in this together with Sam?"

"I don't take the blood of others if I can avoid it. But Sam, Sam kills people because it's fun. He drinks more blood than he will ever need. It's like a drug to him." Anna said calmly.

"How do you turn someone?" M'gann asked curiously. Anna ran a hand through her hair.

"It is not pleasant. In order for the magic to change your body, it has to latch onto what is called the soul. In order to do so, the soul must be damaged. Very little can damage the soul. There are only two ways that I know of. Killing someone..." She trailed off. Zatanna looked down.

"And what else?" She asked quietly.

"I think you know. Sam discovered that himself." Anna answered. The team thought back to how they found Zatanna and they knew. "Believe it or not, he thinks he's doing you a favor. He thinks of this...curse, as a gift. As something only he can bestow. And trust me when I say that he will come back for you until he's dead."

"How do we stop him?" Batman asked sternly.

"You don't. You can't. Only I can." Anna said. "She can't stay here."

"Why not?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"Because Sam knows where she is, how to get to her, and none of you can stop him." Anna looked at Zatanna and met her gaze. "You should stay with me at my place. He doesn't know where it is."

"Where is it?" Batman asked.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret that only a few know of." Anna said.

"She's not going alone." Robin said.

"No, she's not. I can feel how strongly all of you are bonded. But I can't guarantee your safety." Anna said.

"It does not matter. We are a team. Where one goes, we will all go." Kaldur crossed his arms. Anna eyed him, then Batman.

"We have no choice. You have earned my trust. We will work on a way to contain this man and contact you when we do." Batman said after some consideration.

"Good. Go pack your things." Anna said the the teenagers. "It's cold where I'm from."

**Well, that was fun. To those of you who are actually reading this, thank you and goodnight. Leave a review on your way out. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sometimes I feel like I'm only writing this for myself, but whatever. I like this story.**

"Where are you going?" Batman stood in front of Anna and Superman was behind him.

"Can I trust you?" Anna asked pointedly. Batman merely stared impassively at her. She glanced at Superman then spoke to Batman. "Ég get ekki sagt þér nákvæmlega hvar við erum að fara. En ég er viss um að þú getur fundið það út." (I cannot tell you exactly where we are going. But I am sure you can figure it out.)

"Ég trúi þér að gæta þeirra gegn betri dómgreind mína." Batman replied. (I am trusting you to take care of them against my better judgment.) Superman rolled his eyes. Of course Batman could speak yet another language. The team filed in just in time to hear the strange language from Batman. Anna and Batman studied each other for a moment, and an unspoken agreement seemed to pass between them. "Be careful, and be sure to contact me if you need any help."

"Everyone stand in a circle and hold hands." Anna ordered. They followed the order and Batman and Superman watched as Anna completed the circle. "Taktu mig heim." Then they were gone.

* * *

Anna couldn't repress a small smile as she watched her companions' shocked faces at their surroundings.

"I told you it was cold where I'm from."

"You said it was cold. Not that you lived in...Greenland or something!" Robin shivered.

"Iceland, actually. Southern Iceland." Anna corrected. "Come on, let's go inside."

"Um...go inside where?" Kid Flash asked. There was nothing around them for miles. Anna faced the North and held up a hand.

"Ég er komin heim." As she spoke, the air shimmered and a large logcabin-looking house materialized in front of them. She walked in without another word and they followed her. Zatanna, though silent the whole time, marveled at the strength needed to do so much magic without showing weakness or speaking the words backwards.

"So...this is where you live?" Robin asked her.

"This is where anyone like me can come to live." Anna said as she shrugged off her coat and hung it on a peg.

"Like you?" Kaldur asked.

"We don't take human lives. This is one of many of our safe havens whenever life is too much, or we need to disappear for awhile. Only me and and a few others know of this one." Anna turned on the lights. "The electricity is based off of three generators in the basement, and no one has been here since the last time I was. There's plenty of gas."

"How does this place exist?" Kaldur asked. "How does no one find it?"

"It's complicated." Anna brushed the question aside. "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms."

* * *

Zatanna looked around the room that Anna had put her in. It was rustic in furnishings, but the walls were smooth and painted a light teal. She looked at the bed as Anna led her inside.

"Don't think to hard about it." Anna said, as if she could read her companion's mind.

"How can I forget?" She dropped her bag heavily on the floor. "Does he...does he know where this place is?"

"No. He has never known." Anna turned to leave, but paused when Zatanna cleared her throat.

"How...how did he...What happened to you?" Zatanna was still standing awkwardly in the middle of her room, and she blushed. "Sorry, I-I don't mean to pry."

"No, it's alright. But tell your little bird friend to stop eavesdropping and get everyone to meet me in the living room." Anna walked out of the room and Zatanna followed with a small smile on her face as they passed a red-faced Robin. "Don't try to sneak up on someone who can hear every heartbeat within 100 feet."

They all gathered in the living room where a fire was already going in a large fireplace. Zatanna curled up under a blanket she found on the couch and Robin sat next to her with his shade and civilian clothes on. Everyone else took up residence on the couches and Anna sat in the armchair by the fireplace. To her left was Kaldur on the edge of the second couch.

"I think you deserve some answers. Zatanna asked me what happened to me, and it's a long story but you should know what you've gotten yourselves into." Anna folded her hands in her lap. "The year I was turned was 1710 and I lived in a poverty-stricken Russian family. I was to be married off to an older man that promised to take care of me even though I did not love him. I wasn't happy, but at the same time I did not know any other life outside of my village. It was the night before my wedding when I was accused of witchcraft. My mother was also accused, and we were to be burned at the stake when he came."

"Sam?" Kaldur asked. Anna nodded.

"Though he wasn't called that at first. I trusted him to save me and my mother, and he promised me freedom. But he betrayed me. During our escape, I pushed a villager down a flight of steps, and he broke his neck. I killed someone. This was what he had wanted, and as soon as he got me and my mother out he killed her and performed the ritual to turn me." Anna took a shaky breath as Kaldur placed a hand awkwardly on her wrist. "He said to me, "Когда-нибудь вы будете меня благодарить.""

"Someday you'll thank me." Robin translated, and Anna nodded. "What's the ritual?"

"The blood of the victim must be tainted, so he slit my wrist and then his own and let his blood drip into my wrist. Then he drew some symbols on my forehead and spoke the words, "Кровь к крови, проклятие передают. Бесконечная жизнь и бессмертная плоть, мир ваш, чтобы бродить." Blood to blood, the curse is passed. Life unending and flesh undying..."

"The world is yours to roam." Robin finished for her.

"Every vampire makes their own spells. For being so powerful, he had a really lame one." Anna smiled slightly. "I spent the next decade learning magic from him, convinced that he was the only person who could help me. Then one day, I had had enough of his training and insults and killing. I went wandering around Europe trying to make sense of myself. Everywhere I went, he found me and I had to run again. Then I confronted him, and won. But I let him live, and that is my greatest regret since I have never caught up to him since."

"Do you...regret what happened?" M'gann asked quietly.

"I did for a long time, but not anymore. It does me no good to regret the past. I have seen many things others can only dream of. Music, art, literature, I have watched it evolve and unfold. I have seen the best of man, and the worst. I have loved and lost and everything in-between." Anna stood. "I have failed many people in the past, but I promise you that I will not let him do to you what he did to me."

"Why is he trying to...Why does he want to hurt me?" Zatanna asked.

"Like I said, you possess the potential for a magic that is dying. And he enjoys it, taking things from people." Anna walked over the fireplace and tended the fire.

"Why didn't he try to change me the way he changed you? He didn't...He didn't rape you." Zatanna felt Robin move protectively towards her as she said the last words. Anna let a chuckle escape, one that made it clear she didn't find anything funny.

"I never said that." Anna turned to them. "Turns out, accidentally killing someone doesn't count. He had to think of...think of a new way to do things." The team sat in shock.

"Why doesn't he just leave her alone?" Connor asked finally.

"He will never quit, especially now that he finds himself up against people that might actually be able to stop him." Anna heard the clock chime in the corner. "It's late, and you should all get some rest. Training starts tomorrow."

"Training?" Kaldur raised an eyebrow.

"You all fight well, but you can't hope to win against a five hundred year old vampire with your moves. I can train you to fight him so that maybe you'll survive." Anna pointed at her heart. "I am the only one who can kill him."

"Why?" Kaldur asked.

"A sire can only be killed by its progeny. I have to rip his heart out his chest and burn it." With that, Anna walked out.

**Well, as I started writing the story changed a lot from what I had originally planned to write...Oh well. Review me.**


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